Norwood Public School Science Lab format

Norwood Public Science Lab Format

General Comments

The format and rubric (for grading labs) are typical of those used for most science experiments.
A copy of these notes and the rubric used for grading should remain in each student's 5-subject notebook or binder.
Grading notes: as long as written laboratory reports are submitted on time, they may be corrected.

The standard Norwood Public School header should be used when submitting laboratory reports.
Students should make sure that their lab reports use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation and format.
Students should be familiar with outline format and follow this carefully.
Experiment with this online tool: Lab generator!
Shortened form - use this template to assist you in creating lab reports.
References on how to conduct a Science Project/Experiment.

Lab Report Sections

The header should indicate the page number (from the text book) on which the lab specifics were obtained.
Following the header (see above), the student should create an appropriate and centered title.
Sections

Problem. Roman numeral I is the problem under study. This is always phrased in the form of a question. It is the experiment under study and should be stated so that the results of the experiment will answer the question posed.
Hypothesis. Roman numeral II states the student's hypothesis. A hypothesis is an educated guess. The statement presented here gives the students expectation regarding the outcome of the experiment.
Methods. Roman numeral III presents the methods used to conduct the experiment. This section contains two subsections (A and B.) Students should indent section A so that this letter (A) is aligned beneath the "M" in the word methods. Section B should indented and follows the list of materials.

Next to the letter A is the word "Materials." A numbered list of the materials, supplies and tools should be found in section A. There should be one item per line, all numbers should be aligned under the "M" in the word Materials.
Next to the letter B is the word "Procedure." This section contains a numbered list of the steps needed to conduct the experiment. This list should be in the order the student completes the experiment. Procedural steps should be in the form of complete sentences.

Data. Roman numeral IV presents the findings or data. This section typically takes tabular or graphic format. It could involve a drawing of the experimental design or other information. The instructor will specify the format to be used.
Analysis. Roman numeral V is a discussion section. In this section the student will explain why he or she obtained the results that the experiment generated. This could take the form of specific questions the student is assigned to answer or could be more open ended. Questions assigned must be included; the student's answer should follow the written question.

A review of literature may be required. This would entail the research and explanation of science topics related to the experiment. The information gleaned would provide the student with information needed to formulate the hypothesis.
If the review of literature is required, the student would be responsible to generate a bibliography in MLA format. Specifications are available here. The bibliography requires information in both print and web format.